Quote:
Originally Posted by Monahammer
Why risk losing so much leverage in Johnny contract negotiations? His NMC starts tomorrow- once it kicks in, the team loses contract negotiation leverage by losing the ability to easily trade him and recoup assets. Instead it becomes about where he wants to go, and we could get cornholed into another iginla trade.
I understand the want around here to remain positive about these things, and I genuinely hope we keep Johnny moving forward. But there are no guarantees, and tomorrow our position becomes exponentially weaker.
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Because it's imagined leverage.
If both sides agree that Johnny belongs on the Flames, and both sides are being reasonable, it's a matter of time before he signs and the wait is in getting to a number both sides are happy with. At this point, there's nothing that suggests this isn't the case.
All it does is remove an option in case things go sideways. There's no leverage in contract negotiations. If Treliving says "come down to this number or we trade you today" and Johnny doesn't like the number, he'll willingly be traded to wherever with the comfort of knowing he'll either go to a team he wants to sign with or be UFA in a year and pick his spot.
Treliving is by no means forced to sign the contract after today. If Johnny's camp doesn't budge, he'll get the 5 team list and go to work on a trade. In terms of leverage in trade negotiations, which do you think the Flames would have more leverage with: 5 teams that he's willing to sign an extension with, or 10 teams he isn't? Trading for 7-8 years of Gaudreau is more palatable than trading for 1 year of him.